"I heard that," coach Tony Dungysaid Sunday at the MOA as his wife, Lauren, hemmed and hawed over an impertinent question.

Not much was apparently out of Dungy's ear shot while the 2006 Super Bowl winning coach of the Colts signed his bestselling children's book "You Can Do It!" It's about how his "little brother,"Linden Dungy,a Twin Cities-area dentist, decided on that career path as a kid.

Linden, Tony and Lauren Dungy were at a Barnes & Noble book signing when she was confronted with one of the most pressing inquiries of the day: Whose ears are bigger, Tony Dungy's or Barack Obama's?

"I would be wise to remain silent on that one," Lauren replied.

She was careful even though I told her that lady, you're-going-to-need-a-C-section ears run in my family. (That one's for Dr. Lauren Dungy-Poythress, a high-risk pregnancy doc in Indianapolis and sister of Tony, Linden and another sibling, Sherri, a nurse.)

Fortunately, Linden's wife,Donna Arnold-Dungy, and son Alon Dungy were not reticent about answering the question.

Retired U.S. Magistrate Floyd Bolinehas given up the robe for tie-dye.

Boline was at the book signing along with his son Tony Boline, a longtime friend of Tony Dungy, who had delightful memories from Dungy's days as Golden Gopher QB god. The Bolines and others can been seen at startribune.com/video.

A bright future

We have seen the future of CBS' "Sunday Morning" and it is Steve Hartman, a former KSTPer.

Hartman was terrific (not that this is heavy lifting) when he filled in for anchor Charles Osgood. Next time the network-image people, like the ones who fuss overKatie Couric,might want to put somebody besides Hartman in charge of his hair and make sure he doesn't wear what looked like Osgood's pants.

The laugh's on us

Comedian Mario Joyner was impressed with what downtown Minneapolis offers.

Joyner, who opened Friday for Chris Rockat the Orpheum, said in most major cities you have to go to the suburbs to find strip clubs but that we have them within walking distance.

Rock showed a deft knowledge of Minnesota sports.

He talked about speedy Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who Rock said was in the house.

"Mr. Norman is still part of our organization," David Koch, CEO of r. Norman's Steakhouse, called to say Monday.

Five days ago I left a message at the steakhouse, which also houses Seven sushi, to get a Koch comment about outrageous gossip that Randy Norman had been let go or fired from the business that bears his name. "I didn't know that anything happened to Randy," Koch said. "He's like everybody else, at this point, he's an owner in the organization."

When an employee at r. Norman was asked by me if it was true Norman had been fired, that person said: "Just last week. It's been sad for us."

Said Koch: "I don't know where all this Randy news comes from, or insiders in the company thinking they have an understanding of what's going on. I don't think anybody inside the organization knows what goes on." Very telling.

Norman didn't return another phone call Monday.

Somebody also told me Norman didn't own any shares of the company, with his name on it. "Right, that would be the case," said Koch, who suggested that Norman was working toward owning shares.

Feels like there is more to come on this one.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.

C.J. is a columnist in the Star Tribune's Twin Cities section. Her column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
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